All members of the School Board work together to move the district forward while always keeping in mind what is in the best interest of the children of Harlandale. The Harlandale ISD Board of Trustees is made up of seven individuals who were elected into their positions by the community. The four men and three women meet once a month for a public meeting held at different campuses. They are also assigned to sit on specific Board and District Committees.

Every year, when the Cultural Arts Festival comes around, a special group of people are recognized at Mission San Jose before the parade steps off. This year, eight descendants were honored during a special ceremony in front of the Rose Window on September 15.

The six children of Juan Bustillos were selected as Honored Descendants. Mary Lou B. Martinez was born in 1932. She is now deceased but was remembered as a loving and caring mother to nine children. Teresa B. Farias was born in 1934 and has also passed. Her children are entertainers in the groups “La Tropa F” and “Los Hermanos Farias.” Juan H. Bustillos was born in 1938 and has seven children. He successfully operated B&H, a plumbing company. Francisco H. Bustillos was born in 1940 and has three children. Jesse H. Bustillos was born in 1940 and has three children. Jose H. Bustillos was born in 1942 and passed away in 2005. His five children ran Little Joe’s Plumbing for 25 years. The Bustillos children attended Harlandale ISD schools but did not finish. They left school early to join the work force after their father died. They all ended up becoming responsible adults who provided for their families, instilled virtues and encouraged them to continue their education.

Mondel R. Garcia is the great grandson of Epifanio Hernandez, a descendant from the San Jose Missions. Garcia graduated in 1988 from Robert E. Lee High school and joined the Army. He attended Texas A&M College Station, receiving his degree in Ocean Engineering. He took part in the capping of the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with Oceanneering in Houston.

Willie Pacheco Jr is the second child of Guillermo Pacheco, descendant of Mission San Jose. He served in the Marine Corps and has also worked for the United States Post Office. Willie Pacheco Jr. has three sons that all attended Harlandale High School and blessed the family with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.